NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — Here’s the essence of Victor Cruz and a big part of why he’s become a phenomenon: He’s signing helmets at the end of a daylong schedule of interviews, one day after cutting the ribbon to open Fashion Week, four days after scoring a touchdown in the Super Bowl, and only a few days from flying to Los Angeles to present an award at the Grammys.

And yet, he still has that I-can’t-believe-what’s-happening-to-me look about him.

“I mean, I don’t know what makes me so cool they want me to do all this stuff. It’s just a lot of fun,” the Giants' breakout wide receiver said Thursday evening while signing his name to memorabilia at Steiner Sports, with whom he just signed an exclusive agreement. “Anytime you win a Super Bowl, there’s going to be a lot of stuff that comes with it. I’m just happy, man.”

There’s been plenty of stuff that came with this Super Bowl and this record-setting season for Cruz. He hasn’t gotten much sleep the past few days as he’s tried to capitalize on his newfound fame by making appearance after appearance.

Cruz has also learned, once again, about the power of his words, particularly in light of this national spotlight that’s shining brighter than ever on him.

Thursday, during an appearance on ProFootballTalk.com’s “PFT Live,” Cruz was asked about whether winning the Vizio Top Value Award means he’s underpaid. He responded by saying his $450,000 base salary this past season was “relative to where I came in this year” but “after my performance this year, you know, I feel like I deserve to be paid more money at this point.”

Cruz, who is scheduled to make $490,000 next season, then added he’d “let my agents and those people take care of it and I’ll just go out there and play the game.”

Too late. The firestorm had begun.

“I like how you just took out that part,” Cruz said with a smile during the interview at Steiner, when asked about wanting to be paid more. “Did you get the next part of what I said? That was the only part you’d like to hear to repeat.”

The “next part” would be the part where he talked about allowing his agents to handle business and he’d focus on football. Still, the former undrafted player, who is scheduled to be a restricted free agent at the end of next season, understands his value.

“I just feel like, yeah, with what I did this year statistically, the records and everything like that,” said Cruz, who set a Giants single-season mark with 1,536 receiving yards and had a team-record 99-yard touchdown. “Obviously, just looking at the top players in the league and looking at what I did this year, I feel naturally there should be an increase in pay.”

One of Cruz’s agents, Jack Huntington, declined comment when asked about his plans for handling his client’s contract.

During an appearance on SNY’s “The Wheelhouse” on Thursday, Cruz was asked who’s the best slot receiver in the league. He said it’s a tie right now between him and the Patriots’ Wes Welker.

Hey, even Bill Belichick might agree with that one.

The Pats’ coach was caught by NFL Films’ microphones telling his defense before the Giants’ winning drive last Sunday not to let No. 80 and his counterpart beat them.

“This is still a Cruz and (Hakeem) Nicks game,” Belichick said. “I mean, I know we’re right on them. It’s tight, but those are still the guys. Make them go to (Mario) Manningham, make them go to (Bear) Pascoe, but let’s make sure we get Cruz and Nicks.”

Cruz has seen that clip and grinned when asked about it.

“That was flattering,” he said. “It was crazy just to hear him say it on the sideline like that in the Super Bowl. I guess he’d rather have Mario catch a 38-yarder up the sideline as opposed to me do it or Hakeem.”

View full sizeMike Roy/The Star-LedgerThe Giants' Chris Snee autographs a group of helmets Thursday at Steiner Sports in New Rochelle, N.Y.

With that kind of attention on the field comes even more off it. And with that, plus the talk of contracts and other business, comes the pressure to remain true to his personality.

So far, the young man from Paterson who still acts like a kid when he’s out on the field promises not to change.

“You just kind of understand it’s going to be a whirlwind in the beginning, all of the appearances and stuff like that,” he said of the media blitz. “But after that, it’s about coming back, being the same old you, taking the same garbage out at my mother’s house and doing the same old things.

“As long as I keep that in the back of my head and understand that, no matter what, I still have to be myself and remember where I came from.”

And if not, Blanca Cruz will remind him.

“It’s safe to say that, yes,” he said with a laugh. “I will not be spoiled by success, especially when I have the type of mother that I have who won’t allow that.”